Lost and Found
by SpellboundMist
Summary: How Aoshi struggles with everything he has to find himself and to bring Misao back into his arms.Companion to Abandoned Kitten


**..:Lost and Found:..**

_**Sukoshi otona ni natta kimi wa motto suteki ni waratteta**  
(You've grown up a bit and your smile is even more lovely)  
**Mou nido to kimi wa nakanaide, kimi wa nakanaide**  
(You'll never cry again, never cry again)  
**Egao wo misete**  
(Show me your smile)  
Missing - Gackt_

* * *

Aoshi stared into the depths of his teacup. The liquid had gone cold; he hadn't so much as wet his lips. He didn't feel like tea today, just as he'd found it impossible to clear his mind and meditate. He had given up trying at the temple and returned to his own quarters at the Aoiya. Presently, he was seated on the heard wooden floor of his room, his back against the wall. Teacup in hand, he had his legs stretched before him, one knee slightly bent.

He could feel the tension in the Aoiya household, dragged almost to breaking point by what had occurred that morning. They'd seen it coming; all of them had. And who but Aoshi could know just how terrible it would be when it did? Of course, nobody had expected it to be so…explosive.

Misao had, apparently overnight, had a change of heart. Aoshi had always been half-expecting it everyday, like a storm lurking on the horizon. He knew he relied on Misao more than he might have liked, but each time he put an article of clothing on, knowledge that those slender hands had washed them made them more comfortable; each cup of her tea he drank reminded him of the little girl's transformation into a woman, like tea leaves unfurling in the hot water; every word she said, every smile she gave him, and every minute of her life she shared with him made him _want_ to live.

He needed her.

It was one of those undeniable facts that wouldn't change no matter how you looked at it. Of course, being the man he was, Aoshi wouldn't readily admit it. Still, he didn't know why not. Everybody in the Aoiya knew about Misao's feelings, if not to the extent that he did. If he were to come out and start giving back to Misao for everything she'd done for him, they'd all be happy. He would be happy. And most importantly, Misao would be happy.

He kept putting off telling her his feelings; firmly convincing himself that he had to be sure every scrap of darkness from his past had been eradicated. So day after day went by, and Shinomori Aoshi, the Oniwabanshuu's child prodigy and Okashira at age fifteen, one of the strongest and most ruthless fighters of his time, still couldn't work up the courage to tell a woman he loved her.

Earlier that day, Aoshi had gone to the temple as usual. He had risen at dawn like always, but one thing was different. Instead of being greeted by a silent, sleeping house as he stepped into the hall, there had been muffled sounds. Curiously, he'd tracked the source to Misao's room. Usually, the girl slept in as late as possible and even when Omasu or Okon went to wake her it would take considerable effort to get her up. Today must have been different, because Aoshi saw light shining through the shoji into the dimly lit hallway.

He had briefly considered knocking on her door and asking why she was up so early, but he decided against it. The girl was entitled to her privacy and so he left her to her rustling and thumping and headed for the temple. She had come around the same time too, with the tea set. They'd drunk the tea in the usual silence.

Aoshi clenched his hands around his teacup, and angry scowl darkening his features as he thought of the argument that had followed.

* * *

_**This time, this place  
Misused, misplaced**_  
**_Too long, too late_**  
_**Who was I to make you wait**  
Far Away – Nickelback_

* * *

**.Past.**_  
_

Aoshi watched Misao sip her tea, seated across from him. Something was different about her.

"What are you thinking abut?" he asked her, keeping his voice free of emotion as usual.

"Nothing," came the reply. Her voice was wintry; Aoshi later cursed himself for ignoring it.

"Liar," he couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice. Even since she was a child, he'd always known when she was lying. But now, his words seemed to kindle a raging fire in her eyes.

"What does it matter to you?" her eyes blazed with fury, "You wouldn't give a damn if I disappeared tomorrow. I'm just some stupid little girl in your eyes. Omasu or Okon can bring you your damn tea, do your laundry, clean your room, and heat your damn bath for you."

Aoshi was shaken, "Misao what---" he was cut off by the second outburst.

"Shut up! They're always saying I'm a chatterbox so let me talk. Not that it matters what I say, since you don't listen anyways. If I went mute or something right now you probably wouldn't notice." Aoshi was shaking inside at the fury of her voice and the fierceness in her glare. This wasn't his Misao, was it? He struggled to keep his features smooth.

"I've looked after you and served you for almost four damn years since you returned. I've realized that I _don't_ love you. I was only holding onto a dream I used to have before you left us."

"Please, Misao, calm down,' Aoshi felt like he was losing the battle against his emotions. All he could think of was that there was no way Misao could be angry enough at him to---

"Calm down? _Some _people may be a huge damn block of ice with no feelings for himself or anybody else, but I'm not like that. I'm going to stop hovering around you and go enjoy my life." The stubborn resolution in her expression was perhaps what frightened Aoshi most at that moment. "You always say I should go anyways, because you're _tainted_ or some shit like that. Fine, I'll go. I'm leaving Kyoto tomorrow morning."

Aoshi tensed. This was it. She was going to leave him. Somehow, he still didn't believe she meant it, but this was as good a time as any to start telling her what he felt. He just couldn't keep a tinge of anger from his face because it was his fault things had escalated to this situation. "Misao, to be honest with you---"

"Honest my ass. You've never been honest with me. You promised you'd be with me forever, and then you leave with Hannya-kun and the others in the middle of the night. You didn't even say goodbye."

"I didn't want to see you cry, as I knew you would," Aoshi said firmly. This was the reason he's thought of over and over again for so long, to chase away the demons and justify his sin.

"Then why did you go in the first place?" Misao's question broke the shield of security.

"To be strong?"

Every word cut at Aoshi's soul.

"To prove to the whole damn world that you were invincible?"

It hurt all the more because it was all true.

"And what did you achieve?"

Aoshi flinched inwardly. He _knew_.

"Our friend were killed and now you're back here, a broken and useless man."

Aoshi _ached_. He couldn't believe that Misao was saying these ruthless words to him.

"You soul is a weak as a kitten's."

He knew his face was no longer expressionless. Her words stung with betrayal.

"An abandoned kitten."

Hadn't Misao been the one who assured him she's always be waiting? Hadn't she been the one who offered him her love so openly? Unreasonable anger and frustration broke through his barriers.

"Don't you dare---"

"I _do_ dare," Misao spat back. "I won't be a docile lapdog any longer. You can't stay an emotionless _lump_ forever. I wish I could break you and hurt you like you've done to me so many times."

Aoshi blanched. Did she not realize what her words were doing to him?

"But I have no time for you. I'm going on a long journey tomorrow and I have preparations to make. I also intend to say _proper_ goodbyes to the people I _love._"

Aoshi watched helplessly as the girl rose and headed for the door. Even before she'd fully turned away, he let his barriers fall. They were of no use to him now. She was leaving; she meant it this time. His whole body seemed to move on its own will as a surge of desperation flooded his mind.

"No!" he heard himself cry out as he staggered towards her. _I can't let her go._ Desperately he pulled her towards his chest, locking her against him with his arms. "You _can't_ leave, Misao, I---"

"You what?"

Aoshi couldn't formulate an answer as Misao tore herself away from him and spun to face him, her anger sending a fresh wave of despair through him.

"I need you," he finally whispered, hating himself for how weak he sounded. But he couldn't let her leave. "Please, Misao…"

"You need me for what?" Aoshi flinched. _Why can she not see?_ "Bringing you your damn tea?"

This was it. He would lose his chance; she would disappear. "Listen to me, Misao, I swear I'm telling the truth," he caught and held her gaze. "Your company cheers me up. Your words give me things to think about. You were right, I have been broken inside. You inspired me to persevere. It was the memory of you that brought me home at all."

"Liar."

Aoshi wouldn't let her stop him. "I will admit, I've taken your constant presence for granted. I care about you, believe it or not, but I've never known how to express things like that. I assumed---wrongly---that you would be willing to wait until I had found the right way to show you; to tell you."

"You're lying! Lying!" Misao screamed. "You're just saying that to keep me here. Well that's not going to work. I'll make sure Omasu or Okon brings you your tea and calls you for meals every day. Since I'll be gone, one of them can clean your room for you instead of cleaning mine. Your clothes can be washed at the same time as everybody else's and maybe you can learn to heat your own bath while you're at it."

"That's not it, Misao," Aoshi silenced her. She didn't understand. "I can do all these things myself from now on, but I want you _here_. Please." A spark of hope lit feebly inside him. "This is your home too. Wait for me, I'll give you penance for everything you've done for me."

The spark flared and died. Misao's eyes grew frosty, her anger slipping away to be replaced by a calm as smooth as a winter lake.

"I'm sorry, _Aoshi_, I really am," her voice was icy. Aoshi felt an unexpected pang at the missing suffix. "But I've had enough of waiting for you. I am leaving tomorrow morning and you will not stop me."

Aoshi felt as cold as Misao's steely voice. He knew things would eventually come to this but he just couldn't believe it. He _could_ stop her, but he had neither the courage nor the right to do it. She deserved better.

"Where will you go?"

"Anywhere," Misao sounded almost careless, "I'll see if I can meet some new people out there. Jiya's nagging me about marriage all the time, and I think its about time I listened to him. I'm still young, I'll go find a place to settle down or something."

Cold fire coursed through Aoshi's veins with her words. "Marriage?"

"Yes. I want a life of my own. In a few years, children might be nice," Her lips twitched into an almost-smile.

Aoshi felt a bitter sensation creep through him. Had he not been secretly admiring every aspect of her since he had come home? Had she not always told Okina she'd have no man but Aoshi-sama and no family but the Oniwabanshuu? Did he want that? As much as he wished for her to lead a normal young woman's life---as the others did---, he wanted to be the man to make her happy. But he'd hesitated once too many and she was far out of his grasp now.

"Leave then, if you must," Aoshi turned away resignedly. "I have no right to stop you. You can go meet another man and forget about me." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, shamefully filled with envy and resent.

"Goodbye, Shinomori Aoshi." Came her reply. The door slid closed and Aoshi buried his head in his hands.

She had left him and he could not call her back.

* * *

_**Mou ichido kono te wo tsunaide hoshii**  
(I don't want you to ever let go of my hand)_  
**_Itsumo tsunaida te wa atatakaatta_**  
_(my hand was always warm in yours)  
Kimi ni Aitakute - Gackt_

* * *

**.Present.**

Aoshi finally got up, stretching cramped muscles. He made his way downstairs to the kitchen where he dropped off his teacup, earning himself accusing frowns from Omasu and Okon. Shaking his head, he left them to their whispers and went down the hall towards the back of the house. About to open the door to the back porch, Aoshi froze when he heard voices.

"I promise I'll keep in touch. And if I do end up getting married, I'll come and visit with my family or something." That was Misao's voice. Aoshi clenched his fists.

"That sounds nice, Misao-chan," Okina's weary voice followed. "Night is coming, and you should sleep early if you mean to leave at first light."

Aoshi turned and made his way back into the house quietly. He was stopped at the foot of the stairs by Okina calling his name.

"You aren't going to stop her?"

"No, I won't." Aoshi replied firmly, even as his insides rolled in turmoil. "I cannot. She deserves better." He avoided turning to face the old man in order to conceal the expression on his face.

"Is that what you really feel, Aoshi?" Okina's voice was gentle. "Is you concern about what _she_ deserves, or is it about what you believe _you_ deserve?"

"Either way, I don't have the right to stop her." Aoshi finally said. Without waiting for a reply, he went up the stairs and returned to his room.

He remained sitting on the floor all night, not even coming close to the fringes of sleep. When the sky grew brighter in the muted pre-dawn light, Aoshi was sitting on the roof of the Aoiya---something he hadn't done since the days of the revolution. He watched Misao come out onto the path in front of the house with a carry pack, followed by Omasu and Okina. The girl embraced both, smiling, and strode confidently down the street. She didn't look back once.

* * *

_**How will I start  
Tomorrow without you here**_  
**_Who's heart will guide me_**  
_**When all the answers disappear**  
If Only Tears Could Bring You Back – Midnight Sons_

* * *

**.Two Years Later.**_  
_

Exactly one year from the date Misao disappeared from his life, Aoshi had taken his leave from the Aoiya and gone into the mountains. He had trained as he traveled, bringing the iron strength back to his wasted muscles and the hard determination back to his soul. He had passed through countless cities and towns and villages, wandering and searching. Every pink sash was another girl, every delighted laugh another pair of lovers, and every swinging braid a different woman.

Almost a year passed since Aoshi left Kyoto. He'd come upon an inn that reminded him of the Aoiya restaurant, so he'd decided to go have a cup of tea. Kimono-clad girls served him his tea as he scanned the room idly out of habit. Most of the patrons were men, rough and worn from travel. A little girl came running out of the back room, laughing.

"Misuzu-chan!" an older girl with the uniform kimono of the inn followed behind her. "Come back here! You can't go running through like that!" The little girl was snatched up and hustled back into the room she'd come from, but the brief glance Aoshi had gotten of the young woman was enough.

Misao was here.

Aoshi waved over one of the uniformed waitresses---a woman in her late twenties or early thirties---and addressed her politely. "I've been looking for a certain girl; I just saw her here." Aoshi absently scanned the room again.

"Oh?" The woman sounded wary behind her smiling countenance.

"She's a young woman, actually," Aoshi amended. "Do you know the name Makimachi Misao?"

"Misao, did you say?" A second woman approached them with a curious look, her eyes running appreciatively over Aoshi's well-muscled figure. She looked about the same age as Misao.

"I'm afraid I don't know," the first woman said quickly. "There are many girls who work here, and they come and go. Why don't you come back tomorrow? I'll see if I can find out for you. My name is Sayuri. If I am not here, she will be."

"I'm Izumi," the younger woman said with a quick smile.

Aoshi thanked her and pressed coins into her hand before making a swift departure. He loitered in front of the building, wandered up and down the street, and even explored the dark alley behind the inn. In said alley, he found the usual dark puddles, trash, and the stench that came with it. A dirty brown-and black splotched kitten mewled pitifully while poking about in a pile of rotten vegetables. Aoshi clenched his fists, remembering Misao's words. _Your soul is as weak as a kitten. An abandoned kitten._

"Miki? Miki?" a small voice floated out of another alley, dimly lit by the sunlight filtering past the rooftops and dust. Aoshi tensed, looking for the owner of the voice. He didn't notice the kitten stop crying and suddenly sit up alertly. Moments later, a young boy of seven or eight emerged from the shadows, filthy rags hanging from his bony frame.

"Miki---?" he froze when he saw Aoshi standing there. The boy looked about to bolt, but his eyes rested on the kitten. "Miki! There you are! Oh, I missed you so much! Don't you _ever_ run away like that again!" The kitten ran to the boy, who picked her up and cuddled her against his chest, letting her lick his cheek with a delighted pink tongue.

"Is she yours?" Aoshi inquired of the boy.

"Ah----yes, sir," the boy stammered in reply, as if just remembering he wasn't alone. He held the kitten closer.

"It is good that you found her then," Aoshi told him absently, his voice far from cold. "What is your name?"

"Haku."

"Where is your family?"

"Miki's all I got, sir."

"I see," Aoshi let the cold mask of his features fall away, something he had seldom done since Misao was a child. "Here, take this." Aoshi dug a few coins out of his pocket and held them out.

"Oh no, I really shouldn't," the boy blurted out while eyeing the coins in Aoshi's palm hungrily.

"You should take good care of your Miki," Aoshi told Haku softly, his mind on a certain young woman, "Since she is all you have. Get her something good to eat, maybe, better than these trash piles."

"H-hai," the boy darted forward and took the coins from Aoshi's outstretched hand. "W-why are you so kind? Most of the swordsmen I've seen just kick us around and don't---oh, excuse me I shouldn't have spoken."

"It's alright," Aoshi assured the flustered boy. "I'm doing this because I once had somebody who was to me like what Miki must be to you. I could not show her enough love, and so she left me."

"Oh…" Haku looked around awkwardly, then brightened. "Would you like to hold Miki? Just for a little bit?"

Surprised, Aoshi stared at the kitten that was held out to him. "Yes, I'd like that very much, thank you." He gently took the tiny bundle of warm fur in his hands, petting her head softly with a callused finger. "She's beautiful. Take good care of her."

"Hai!" Haku gave a sweet little boy's smile, "Thank you, swordsman-sama!"

Aoshi returned the kitten and watched as Haku clutched Miki to his chest once more and turned with a wave to run down the alley once more, disappearing around a corner. Happier memories of Misao surged through Aoshi as he made his way back to the cheap room he'd taken at an inn on the outskirts of town.

He did not sleep that night, his mind filled with long-dead hopes and words unsaid.

When dawn finally came, thin rays of sunlight found Aoshi dozing fitfully against the wall of his room. The tall man roused quickly, pulling himself to his feet with a groan. Temporarily abandoned fears returned to storm his tired mind, anxiety for the very near future. Aoshi cleaned himself up and donned his trench coat. His kodachi went into the waistband as it had done all those years ago when he had left Misao behind in Kyoto.

The twin blades had little practical purpose in the peaceful era that had come. Instead, Aoshi had taken it as a memento and as a promise. He had vowed to himself that if he could not find the woman he'd loved and lost, the kodachis would be steeped in his own blood. Love. Yes, he loved her. He missed her terribly, every harsh word she'd uttered before her departure still stinging like fresh stripes across his back. Every fiber of his body _ached_ for her, just as his muscles felt weak at the possibility of not finding her. Japan was considered a small country in the world, that he knew, but it could be awfully big when a lost man was searching for one beautiful young woman.

But he'd found her, had he not? H e had seen her face, felt her presence, just yesterday. She was _here_. Aoshi's heart quivered with joy now and again, despite his fears. He had a chance. One chance, but a chance nevertheless. He'd lost her two years ago, but now he had found her. A bittersweet miracle.

Would she return to him? How could a man like him possibly show Misao how _much_ he loved her, and how badly he _needed_ her?

Aoshi cursed under his breath and left his dingy room. As he stepped outside onto the narrow street, he deliberately counted the seconds for each breath he took, falling into the pace of meditation. He wandered through the town, working up his courage. Anxiety flitted through him, chased by excitement, jubilation, to be replaced by fear and terrible loneliness. He wandered through the richer district, passing kimono-clad women gliding down the street and children running through well-kept gardens.

He couldn't stomach any lunch when midday came around. His footsteps took him out to the fringes of the town, making a quick stop at the nearby temple. Unfortunately, the smell of incense reminded him painfully of Misao, and so he turned his steps back towards the bustling hub of town.

When he reached the inn, he ducked inside and scanned the room, checking the face of every waitress flitting from table to table. Misao was not present. He located the woman who'd introduced herself as Sayuri the day before.

"Oh, hello there, Shinomori-san," she greeted him with a smile.

"Is Misao here?" Aoshi asked quickly, registering a slight surprise that the woman knew his name. _Misao must have told her_, his heart leapt with exultation.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" the younger woman approached with the steaming cup ready in her hands. Aoshi noticed the similarity in the two women's eyes and assumed they must be sisters. He took the cup from her fingers and allowed himself to be ushered graciously to a table by Sayuri. As he politely declined her offer of food, his sharp eyes watched Izumi speaking quickly to an older man at the door to the kitchen.

"You know," Sayuri turned her warm brown eyes on Aoshi, "She is still longing for you. She has become my sister's dearest friend and she is a wonderful person. But she is not happy. She only told us about you last night. Before that, we never knew what had happened in her past."

As if on cue, Izumi returned having finished a second rapid exchange with the man. Her face was more somber than before, and a tinge of disapproval marred her tone.

"She says she has made her choice and she will not run away, but she will not come to see you either," she told Aoshi seriously. Then her face softened. "It shouldn't be too hard to find a person in this house."

Aoshi stood, a hard mask falling into place over his face as anxiety tied his insides into quivering knots. Izumi walked ahead of him, opening the door to the back room and gesturing. Aoshi found the pleading expression in her eyes startling, and she laid a hand on his arm.

"Misao always sits in the garden by herself, thinking and remembering," her brown eyes were identical to her older sisters'. "She says she thinks of the one most precious person to her, but she never said who."

"Thank you."

He found the way to the garden easily; the door to the back porch was open for the good weather. A familiar figure sat with her back facing his direction; Aoshi even recognized the dark blue material of the Oniwabanshuu outfit as well as the pink sash. Her hair was out of the bun it had been in yesterday, hanging down her back in the braid Aoshi was accustomed to seeing.

After sliding the door gently closed, Aoshi steeled himself before taking a seat beside her. She didn't look at him so he had to content himself with taking in the smooth profile of her face. On the outside, she had barely changed.

A sudden image of the boy Haku and his kitten made Aoshi chuckle at the irony. He had abandoned his barriers, and the natural tone of his laughter surprised even himself. "You look like an abandoned kitten now," he told her, keeping his voice light. He couldn't stop from reaching a hand out to her. She held perfectly still as the back of his fingers brushed hr cheekbone.

Aoshi began to relax, but Misao abruptly pushed herself to her feet. His hand fell. She turned to look down at him, her eyes free of anger or accusation.

"Abandoned kitten?" she smiled pleasantly. "And who was it that abandoned me?" she turned and walked towards the door.

Aoshi felt a surge of hope. She was offering him a choice---a chance to make it right. She was waiting for him.

"I did," he stood and fell into step behind her, the closeness of their bodies making his anxiety grow. "I left you, took away your friends---our friends---and I turned my back on you." Misao didn't pause, even though it was plain that he'd surprised her.

"Don't turn away from me now, Misao," Aoshi caught her hand before she could reach the door. She stood perfectly still, saying nothing. Aoshi kept his gentle grip on her slender fingers.

"I made many mistakes. One of which was hesitating to tell you that I _do_ care for you. You are not a girl in my eyes; you are a beautiful young woman. I don't want to be your guardian any longer, and I will not be your burden," As he let the words flow from deep inside him, where they'd been bound for so many years, he felt Misao slowly curl her fingers around his hand. "Will you---will you accept love from this broken, tainted man?"

His pleading whisper hung poignantly between them for a very _long_ second. The Misao whirled around, her hand slipping from his grasp. He expected anger, or disgust on her face, but instead there was a gentle, glowing smile.

"I accept," the words flew through Misao's lips breathlessly. "But not from a tainted or a broken men."

Aoshi opened his mouth to protest but Misao placed a finger against his lips, silencing him.

"I will accept this love from a man whom I used to think perfect, a man with true strength."

Aoshi could hardly believe this was real. After everything he'd done, everything they had gone through, she was saying---

"Are you…really saying yes?"

"Of course," Misao gave him the achingly familiar grin. "I mean, I could still pretend you're perfect if you like."

"That's alright, I know I'm not," Aoshi felt a burden lifted from him. "I'm glad I found you. After you left…I really went mad. I couldn't control my emotions; every time I tried I would think of you. I stayed in my room all the time and didn't talk to anybody." He paused, half-expecting Misao to lash out at him again. When she appeared to be listening, he went on, "I couldn't leave things as they were. I had to find you. Now I know---now I know how you must have felt, searching for me all those years ago. Even when I found you here, I was terrified you might disappear again."

"You don't have to tell me everything now," Misao stopped him, "We have all the time in the world now. But I do have to apologize for those things I said to you in Kyoto before I left."

"That's nothing compared to what I've done---"

"Be quiet. I don't have the heart to listen to all of it right this minute," Misao said firmly, "I have things to tell you too, but those can wait as well. You've been traveling, and you certainly look tired. Sayuri can find you a room for tonight, or you can share mine if you don't mind. I was just washing a huge pile of linens so I'm sure we can ready a futon for you. There's good food here, and---"

Aoshi listened as she talked, letting the sound of her voice wash over him. Finally, he decided he'd had enough. In one fluid movement, he swept her close to him, bending his face to hers and capturing her lips gently. Misao stiffened in shock, but slowly relaxed and leaned into the kiss hesitantly, her hands awkwardly brushing against his chest.

"I don't want food, blankets, or rest right now," Aoshi whispered huskily as he pulled away. She had grown; all the sharp angles had smoothed into graceful curves and the top of her hair reached his chin. "I want _you_ Misao, all to myself, right here, right now."

His lips twitched with Misao's bewildered expression, and let out a laugh when Misao threw herself into his arms. He held her close to him, feeling her heartbeat against his chest and her breath on his skin. He pressed his cheek against her hair and memorized the feel of her slender form against him.

"I love you," she whispered. Her words would be his salvation, freeing his soul from the darkness of his past. He whispered her words back to her, closing his eyes and letting the world fall away from them as their love soared upwards into the glowing sunset that would seal them together for an eternity.

* * *

_**You're the only one  
I'd be with 'til the end  
When I come undone  
You bring be back again  
Back under the stars  
Back into your arms**  
Fall to Pieces – Avril Lavigne_

* * *

**Notes:** Yay! I finished it finallyyyyy. I originally intended to just write a companion for Abandoned Kitten because I thought Aoshi deserved to have his side of the story told. It seemed easy enough, but it actually took me WAY longer than I expected. For one thing, I got seriously bored when I had to match up the dialogue parts. I printed out Abandoned Kitten and had it out in front of me while writing this, and I almost didn't follow through with it. And then I had a bit of trouble---maybe more than a bit---with matching up the times and places, etc. it might even still be a bit messed somewhere.

But anyways I finished, and here it is! At the last minute I decided to put in those song lyrics, because…I dunno why, actually. It's cool. I think I kind of messed up, maybe, since I've never tried it before. But it was fun, overall. Hope you liked it! Read Abandoned Kitten too, if you haven't. It happens at the same time, so it doesn't matter which one you read first. Review!

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, plot, etc. of Rurouni Kenshin. I also don't own any of those songs that I used here, those all belong to the respective artists and whoever else owns it. tralala don't sue me. **


End file.
